Automatic switch-controller.



a. A. FRIT SCH.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. H, 19l5.

1,207,531 Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

Aim 55 J/Vummf? 5 9, fir/75m GEORGE ARTHUR'FRITSCH,OF BEN'FBEW, ONTARIO, CANADA.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH-CONTROLLER.

Application filed November 11, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE ARTHUR FnrrsoH, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of Renfrew, in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switch-Controllers, of which the following is the specification.

This invention relates to improvements in switch controls particularly adapted for use in electric lighting and heating installations, and the objects of the invention are to permit of the electric circuit being automatically closed and broken at specified times so that the installation will operate during a predetermined period, to facilitate in manually closing the electric circuit previous to or after the automatically controlled mechanism has been set, to simplify the construction and generally to adapt the several parts to better perform the functions required of them.-

With the-above and other objects in view the invention consists essentially of the improved construction particularly described and set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings forming part of the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved switch control, looking from the rear. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the improved switch control. Fig. '3 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the improved switch control comprising the casing 10 designed to house the mechanism therein, the front of the casing being provided with a fixed dial 11 and two rotatable dials 12 and 13 arranged alongside but slightly lower than the fixed dial.

Superimposed on the fixed dialare hour and minute hands 14 and 15, the latter of which is rigidly mounted on the clock shaft 16 which carries the pinion 17 rigidly mounted thereon and is rotatably supported inthe casing 10, thesaid shaft being driven Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

Serial No. 60,925.

by any suitable type of clock mechanism. The pinion '17 meshes with a pinion 18 rotatably supported by the spindle 19 extendmg transversely across the casing 10, the pinion 18 being formed integral with the pinion 2O meshing with the pinion 21 carried by the shaft 16, which pinion 21 is operatively connected to the hour hand 14 in any suitable manner.

The pinion 2O meshes with the pinions 22 and 23 rotatably mounted on the spindles 24 and 25 which carry indexed hands 26 and 27 superimposed on the rotatable dials 12 and 13 which'are operatively connected to the said pinions so that the pinions and dials will rotate in unison. The

pinions 22 and 23 are provided with integral ratchet wheels 28 and 29 which coact with spring controlled pawls 30 and 31 carried by the switch arms 32 and 33 ri idly mounted on the spindles 24 and 25. These switch arms are designed to coact with the fingers 34 and 35 of the pivotally'mounted pawls 36 and 37, the locking tips 38 and 39 of which are designed to engage with the peripheral orifices 40 and 41 in the casings 42 and 43 rotatably mounted on the transversely extending spindles 44 and 45 extending transversely across the casing. These casings are provided with offset arms 46 and 47 carrying plungers 48 and 49 slidably mounted in the casing 50 housing the switch proper. This switch consists of a pair of contacts 51 and 52 designed to be engaged by the plungers 48 and 49, the said contacts being adapted to be moved by the plungers to close the opposite circuit gaps 52 and 53. The upper sides of these gaps are'connected by a wire or suitable conductor 54 while the lower sides are included in a circuit 55 inwhich the lights or heating coils are preferably arranged. From the conductor 54 and one side of the circuit 55, lead similar conductors 56 provided with contacts 57, the circuit of which is adapted to be closed by the switch 58.

The casings 42 and 43 are spring controlled and capable, when the locking tips 36 and 37 are disengaged, of being rotated in an anti-clockwise direction so that the plunger 48 will be moved downwardly to permit of the contact 51 closing the gap 52, while when the casing 43 is rotated the plunger 49 is moved upwardly to permit of a gap 53 being broken. To facilitate in obtaining this result, 1 house a spiral spring 59 in each of the casings 42 and 43, the inner end of the spring being rigidly connected to the spindles 44 and 45 respectively, while the outer ends are connected to the inner periphery of the said casing.

In order that the rocking motion of the casings 42 and 43 should be limited, projections 60 and 61 are formed integral with the outer periphery of the said casing and adapted to coact with the stop members 62 and 63 carried by the casing 50.

The assembly of the switch control will be readily understood from the foregoing description.

lVhen the device is in operation, the index hand 26 is set relatively to its dial 12 so that it will designate at what hour the switch is designed to be closed, and after this has been accomplished the index hand 27 is set relatively to its coacting dial 13 so that the space of time during which the installation is in operation and the time at which the circuit will be broken is determined. It will be understood that during the rotation of the hand 26 the switcharm 32 is simultaneously moved into the desired position, and after the mechanism has been in operation and the clock 11 records the time at which the hand 26 has been set, the said switch arm will engage with the finger 34 of the pawl 36 disengaging the locking tip 38 from the orifice 40 and permitting of the casing 42, under the action of the spring 59, being rotated in an anti-clockwise direction so that the plunger 48 will move the contact 51 to close the gap 52, and since it will be understood that when the mechanism is set the plunger 49 coaots with the contact 52 to close the gap 53, it will thus be seen that when the switch arm 32 engages with the finger 34 and the contact 52 is moved that the circuit will be closed. This circuit will remain closed, and the lights or heating will be in use until the switch arm 33, which has been simultaneously set with its coacting indexing hand 27 engages with the finger 35 of the pawl 37 disengaging the locking tip 41 from the orifice 39 and permitting the casing 43 to be rotated in an anti-clockwise direction so breaking the contact at 53 and extinguishing the. lights or rendering the heating'installation inoperative. The rotation of the casings 42 and 43 is, as has been above mentioned, limited by the projections 60 and 61 engaging with their coacting shoulders 62 carried by the casing 50. After the mechanism which automatically controls the lighting or heating installation has been set it will be understood that should the said lighting or heating be required in the meanwhile, the switch 58 may be manually 0perated to engage with the terminals 57, so closing the circuit and permitting the said installations to be used in the interim. The setting of the mechanism is very readily accomplished, and by reference to the drawings it will be seen that when the hand 26 has been set relatively to its coacting dial 12 the hand 27 will be set relatively to its coacting dial 13 so that the interval of time between the said hands will show the period during which the lighting or heating installation will be in operation.

From the above description it will be seen that I have invented 'a switch control which will fulfil all the necessary requirements of such a device and can be advantageously utilized in public buildings and like places, the construction of the said control being such that there is nothing liable to go out of repair.

In setting the device, it will be understood that the spindles 44 and 45 are manually rotated so that the casings 42 and 43 are rotated into an operative position in which the locking tips 36 and 37 engage with the peripheral orifices in the said casing.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An electric switch controller, comprising a rotatably supported casing provided with an offset arm carrying a plunger, resilient means housed in the casing. designed to control the rotation of the same, a pivotally mounted pawl provided with a locking tip coacting with the casing, and 'means adapted to automatically engage with the pawl and release the locldng tip.

2. An electric switch controller comprising a rotatably supported casing, a plunger carried by the casing, locking means co- I acting with the casing to retain the same in a non-operatlve posltlon, a pivotally mounted lever coacting with the locking means designed to release the casing, means 'for rotating the casing to permit of the plunger closing an electric circuit and means for limiting the rotation of the casing.

3. An electric switch controller comprising a rotatably supported casing, a plunger carried by thecasing, locking means coacting with the casing, a lever designed to automatically engage with the locking means with the projection.

4. An electric switch controller comprising a rotatably supported casing, a plunger carried by the casing, resilient means for rotip and a spring actuated pawl controlling tating the casing to permit of the plunger the action of the said lever. 10 closing an electric circuit, a pivotallymount- In witness whereof I have hereunto set ecl pawl provided with a locking tip coactmy hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

ing with the casing and retaining the same GEORGE ARTHUR FRITSCH.

in a non-operative position, a pivotally WVitnesses:

mounted lever adapted to automatically en- IDA CRozIER,

gage with the pawl and release the locking ERNEST J. STEWART.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

